The coordination polymers, {[Cu(Hbidc)(2,2Јbpy)(H 2 O)]·2H 2 O} n (1) and {[Mn(Hbidc)(2,2Ј-bpy) (H 2 O) 2 ]·2H 2 O} n(2) (H 3 bidc = benzimidazole-5,6-dicarboxylic acid, 2,2Ј-bpy = 2,2Јbipyridine), were synthesized in solution and characterized by elemental analysis, IR spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Complexes 1 and 2 consist of different 1D chain structures. In both compounds, 2,2Ј-bpy is chelating in a